The Barcelona Rent Strike of 1931 not only served to reduce rent costs for working class families but was also an education in self-organization for thousands of workers. It, along with other stuggles in those years, created an organized working class that in 1936 made the most succesful attempt yet to overthrow capitalism and create libertarian communism.
Chanties and Slums
In the 15 years leading up to the strike Barcelona’s population had increased by 62%. The city was one of the fastest growing in Europe. Inflation was running rampant but wages had not risen. There had been rent increases of up to 150%. Only 2,200 council houses had been built. Barcelona was in the midst of a huge housing crisis as chanty towns grew around the... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.) Editors’ Note:
Much of our time as revolutionaries is spent on the routine of organizing in the here and now – building a campaign, organizing for a demonstration, planning for a trade union meeting…. Too often we don’t manage to take time to step back from the here and now and imagine or envisage what it’s all about. But without dreaming, without imagining a future the daily humdrum can seem dispiriting.
To really build for a new society, we need to try to paint a picture of what that society might look like. And we need to be able to suspend reality and dream of the sort of future that might be out there. This article is the first of what we hope will be a series which will attempt to look into a post-revo... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.) OVER THE LAST few months we’ve witnessed the level of industrial action jumping from virtually none to disputes erupting in An Post, Eircell, Trinity College and the Civil Service. The government has asked the Irish Congress of Trade Unions get their members into line, i.e. to ensure no more disputes arise. The bad news for our government is that it appears that this current round of industrial action is not about to quickly fade away.
That the Government can talk to the ICTU leaders as friends is indicative of the cozy relationship which has come about over the last ten years. There has now been a decade of “social partnership” agreements between themselves and the trade union leadership. ‘Our rulers’ in the ... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.) Leninists are fond of quoting from the writing of Victor Serge, as a means of getting a libertarian rubber stamp for the actions of the Bolsheviks during the October revolution and the subsequent events. In his keynote article “In defense of October”[1] John Rees uses no less than 8 quotes from Serge’s writings within the space of 70 pages. Poor old Lenin only managed to clock up 4 original quotes, while Tony Cliff’s dubious interpretation of all these events manages to get more quotes in than one could possibly count. To a certain extent, what the Leninists of today are trying to tell us is that Serge was a practical man, and he knew that the only way for the revolution to succeed was to row in behind the Bolsheviks... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.) JUSTICE IS a great concept... but it has little place in capitalist society. Once you start to question this economic system you find that so much of what we are told is lies. The very attributes which capitalism boasts: Law, Order and Justice, are like props on a film set. The closer you examine them the more hollow and fake they prove to be.
In order to enforce justice you first of all have to decide what’s criminal. The French sociologist Emile Durkheim in the 1890’s wrote:
“What confers a criminal character on an act is not the nature of the act but the definition given it by society. We do not reprove certain behavior because it is criminal; it is criminal because we reprove it.”
In other words what s... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.) ”..the major event of the twentieth century has been the abandonment of the values of liberty on the part of the revolutionary movement, the weakening of Libertarian Socialism, vis-a-vis Caesarist and militaristic Socialism. Since then, a great hope has disappeared from the world to be replaced by a deep sense of emptiness in the hearts of all who yearn for Freedom....”
— Albert Camus, ‘Neither Victims nor Executioners’
As Camus says, a deep sense of emptiness is felt by all those who wish for a revolution leading to the creation of a society which is classless and truly socialist. As the history of the 20th century has unfolded we have witnessed the repeated failure of vanguards and leaders to create ... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.) The name of the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN) rebels is taken from the Emilano Zapata who played a major role in the Mexican Revolution {1910 — 1921}. 73 years has passed since the Mexican Revolution . The memory of Zapata had faded onto the worn pages of history.
Indeed the heirs of the betrayers of Zapata, headed by the Institutional Revolutionary Party and President Carlos Sallinas, are in power today in Mexico. They have remained in power for the last 75 years. But the Zapatistas have come back to haunt them.
A New Year a New Dawn.
On New Years Day of 1994 people awoke to the news that four towns in the south-eastern state of Chiapas had been taken over by a group calling itself the Zapatista National Liberation A... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.) “What is Fascism, at bottom, but the direct product of the failure to achieve socialism?”
Daniel Guerin wrote the above words in 1945 when the classic example of fascism had been defeated. However unlike others he was not naive enough to believe that fascism was defeated once and for all. A certain fact remains true to today, that in a period when capitalism is experiencing a crisis we are once again observing a rise in fascist politics across Europe. The politics are initially racist to begin with but more recently we see that less and less shame is being attached to waving Swastikas or giving a fascist salute.
This is mainly due to the revised History which is being spewed out by people like David Irving. Irving, the sup... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.) These days you are more likely to hear the word ‘revolution’ on the soundtrack of a film or on the latest pop release than you are to hear someone talking about bringing one about. It is partly for this reason that people think of revolutions as buried deep in history. Yet, as little as 25 years ago France was on the verge of a total revolt with 12 million workers on strike, 122 factories occupied, and students fighting against the old moribund system in which they found themselves.
In the late sixties in France real wages were on the rise, but large sections of the working class were still suffering from low pay. This was despite foreign trade having tripled. 25% of all workers were receiving less than 500 francs per month. So... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.) PRIME MINISTER Edouard Balladur and his government have been in retreat over the last six months as the people of France take to the streets to demonstrate their anger at new policies. The government has backed down on Air France (see last issue of WS), on extra funds for church schools and with the fishermen. The turn of the students of France came when the government proposed to cut the miniumm wage by 20% for people under 26.
The original plans were to have wages ranging from 30% to 80% of the minimun wage. It was a move caculated to pitch old against young. The bosses would now be able to make a saving of 20% by laying off anyone over 26 and taking on those younger. As one protest sign read “I’ve got a job, Dad, It’s ... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.) American black activist and journalist, Mumia Abu-Jamal, was sentenced to die at 10pm on August 17th. Protests which took place in over twenty countries forced the US authorities to grant a stay of execution, just 11 days before he was to be killed. He is still under sentence of death. His supporters are still seeking justice for him.
Mumia has been the recipient of police attention since his teenage years. At age 14 he was arrested for taking part in a protest against the racist pro-segregation Governor of Alabama, George Wallace. The next year he joined the Black Panther Party and was appointed its information officer in Philadelphia.
In the 1970s he turned to journalism. His work in this field saw him win awards and be elected Presiden... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.) Prior to the World Cup, supporters of the Irish football team were supplied with brochures which they were meant to pass on to people when they got to the States. This was a drive by Board Failte (Tourist Board) to encourage more tourism from America.
For years Ireland has been portrayed as an unspoiled island with a beautiful coast, mountains and lakes. The hospitality of the people is renowned but sadly it is not reflected in the state’s current immigration policy. If you end up in Ireland looking for more than a holiday you’ll quickly find out how the Irish State operates. People who have sought political asylum in Ireland have met with little joy.
In 1990 a Chinese Student, Ji Yao Lau arrived in Ireland seeking political a... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.) The police killing of Mark Duggan resulted in four nights of rioting across England. The immediate trigger was the killing itself, and the disrespect shown by the police to Mark’s family and friends. But the riots rapidly broadened to expressions of a more general anger and alienation; an anger that was all too often unfocused and striking out at the nearest target of opportunity. This resulted in widespread destruction of resources in already deprived neighborhoods and some anti-social attacks on bystanders. Despite this, the roots of the riots lie in the economic and political conditions of these districts, and not in ‘poor parenting’ or ‘mindless criminality’. These conditions were created by the very politi... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.) The campaign against the bin charges was one of the largest organized mass movements of resistance to the state in recent years. Local organizing groups popped up across the city. It climaxed in the winter of 2003, with the jailings of numerous activists in quick succession. Here we talk to Dermot Sreenan, a member of the WSM who has been a prominent activist in the campaign from the off.
What are the bin charges?
The bin charges are a charge for the collection and disposal of domestic rubbish. This service was, and still is provided by the local council. Funding which is supposed to be supplied from central government, from our taxes, to the council for such services has been drying up. The city manger, a glorified accountant, introduced... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.) Saturday the 30th of September 2017 will go down as a high point in the fight for abortion rights in the Republic of Ireland, and that is a struggle that stretches back decades. Years of campaigning and maintaining a focus on the issue, saw a massive crowd of nearly 30,000 people take to the streets for the annual March for Choice as organized by the Abortion Rights Campaign [ARC]. The calls are for action, and the need for Repeal of the 8th Amendment which bans abortion in almost all circumstances.
The day was glorious, the sun blazed down on us, and as I cycled across the City you could see the crowds assemble. Families disembarked from busses and trams, the distinctive black Repeal sweatshirts were much in evidence, and you could see vi... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.) THESE DAYS you are more likely to hear the word ‘revolution’ on the soundtrack of a film or on the latest pop release than you are to hear someone talking about bringing one about. It is partly for this reason that people think of revolutions as buried deep in history. Yet, as little as 25 years ago France was on the verge of a total revolt with 12 million workers on strike, 122 factories occupied, and students fighting against the old moribund system in which they found themselves.
In the late sixties in France real wages were on the rise, but large sections of the working class were still suffering from low pay. This was despite foreign trade having tripled. 25% of all workers were receiving less than 500 francs (£46... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.) The year 1992 saw a lot of changes. There was the dissappearance of Czechoslovakia into two separate countries, the infamous Maastricht treaty, the war in Yugoslavia, the limited victory for women’s rights in Ireland and our gold medal for boxing in the Olympics. However an event which you may have missed was the eightieth birthday of George Woodcock. To celebrate this, a book was published of Mr Woodcock’s collected essays, entitled “Anarchism and Anarchists”.
The noted academic and intellectual covers a broad range of topics in his book, from the revolutions of 1848 to the prospects for anarchism. One surprise for me was the mention of Ireland in the first paragraph of the initial essay. However the author is only... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.) So reads the first line of Harry Cleaver’s introduction to this 128 page book about the EZLN (Zapatista National Liberation Army). The EZLN woke the world up to their struggle on the first day of 1994, when they took over several towns in the Southern Mexican state of Chiapas. Plenty has happened since then, including a cease-fire and failed negotiations with the government.
“Voice of Fire” is important for two reasons. Firstly, it contains everything that is known about the EZLN. It has all their press interviews, letters, communiqués, and it has responses to the Mexican Government’s propaganda. It is the largest and most comprehensive collection of such material in the English language.
Secondly, this revo... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.) I may not have any chains around my feet, but still, I am not free. In modern society — capitalism — our bosses and leaders have invented new methods to chain us. According to the propaganda we are supposed to live in a free, democratic society, yet all of us experience limitations in our lives. Everyday more of us are being flung on the dole, families are being thrown out on the streets, our pay packets are shrinking and prices keep going up. Politicians care about little else except their popularity. In truth, we all know that this free, democratic society doesn’t exist on the streets where we live.
We must change the system which forces us to live under it’s heel. The only way to take the power back from the boss... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.) JUSTICE IS a great concept ..but it has little place in capitalist society. Once you start to question this economic system you find that so much of what we are told is lies. The very attributes which capitalism boasts: Law, Order and Justice, are like props on a film set. The closer you examine them the more hollow and fake they prove to be.
In order to enforce justice you first of all have to decide what’s criminal. The French sociologist Emile Durkheim in the 1890’s wrote “What confers a criminal character on an act is not the nature of the act but the definition given it by society. We do not reprove certain behavior because it is criminal; it is criminal because we reprove it.” In other words what society deems... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.) ON THE FIRST day of 1994 a group calling itself the Zapatista National Liberation Army [EZLN] launched an uprising in the Chiapas State of Mexico. They are fighting the dictatorship of Carlos Salinas de Gortari and are calling for “free democratic government”. The first of January was the date upon which the North American Free Trade Agreement was to come into operation and their is a widespread belief among the mainly Indian EZLN that this will only lead to further poverty.
The Chiapas state in Mexico is one of the poorest areas. Almost 35% of the population is without electricity. Up to 50% of the land is still owned and controlled by a handful of large landowners. The EZLN proclamation states “We the dispossessed, numb... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.) Ireland is famous for being a place where you can get all four seasons in the passing of one day. The predominant season here is the rainy season which extends through spring, summer, autumn and winter . The one thing we are not short of on this island is water. But then, since when did our ‘leaders’ or the authorities let the facts get in the way of further exploitation. Over the last three years in Dublin a battle has raged between the councils, trying to implement a charge for the supply of water and the people opposed to this policy. This is the story of the campaign against the imposition of this double tax.
When the domestic rates were abolished in 1977 following the general election an increase took place in income tax a... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.) ON THE FIRST day of 1994 a group calling itself the Zapatista National Liberation Army [EZLN] launched an uprising in the Chiapas State of Mexico. They are fighting the dictatorship of Carlos Salinas de Gortari and are calling for “free democratic government”. The first of January was the date upon which the North American Free Trade Agreement was to come into operation and their is a widespread belief among the mainly Indian EZLN that this will only lead to further poverty.
The Chiapas state in Mexico is one of the poorest areas. Almost 35% of the population is without electricity. Up to 50% of the land is still owned and controlled by a handful of large landowners. The EZLN proclamation states “We the dispossessed, numb... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.)